St. Louis

As a young girl, I loved traveling to St. Louis to visit family. We always had lots of fun there and I have fond memories that are still captured on film.

Despite the fact that I now live less than three hours from St. Louis, I hadn’t taken the time to make a trip in many years. I decided to change all that with a trip with my mom and we had such a great time I came back a few weeks later with a girlfriend – and a completely different itinerary.

Mom and I arrived at the AAA Five Diamond Four Seasons St. Louis hotel in time to meet Mary from the St. Louis Tourism Board for a tour of the city. We quickly checked into our one bedroom suite, which had a phenomenal view of the iconic Gateway Arch.

Mary took us all around the various neighborhoods in St. Louis, passing Busch Stadium, the Old Courthouse, and other attractions. We finally stopped at City Museum, an amazing collection of vintage artifacts among kid-friendly activities. I was amazed I hadn’t heard about it before.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the refurbished Union Station, where Circus Harmony had set up a trapeze school. It was fun watching the instructors fly through the air.

We were back at the hotel in time to change for a delicious dinner at Ciello. I was a little disappointed that it was a rainy night and we couldn’t eat out on the patio, overlooking the Arch.

After a good night’s sleep, Mom and I headed to the Spa at Four Seasons. I was immediately relaxed in the hot tub, steam room and sauna, before a heavenly Red Rock Massage with hot stones. (Mom was equally thrilled with her Lymphatic Massage.)

Mary picked us up for more exploring, which included a visit to the Missouri History Museum and a tour of Forest Park. This complex houses the History Museum, as well as the St. Louis Zoo, the Science Center, Botanical Gardens, and the Art Museum. Amazingly, all of these sites have complimentary admission.

While at the History Museum, we had a fantastic lunch at their restaurant, Bixby. It was the first time I had a Monte Cristo Sandwich in ages and it was so good.

On the way back, we drove through more of St. Louis, checking out the Walk of Fame, the Pageant entertainment center, and Blueberry Hill.

Dinner was at the River City Casino’s 1904 Steakhouse. It’s fine dining at its best, from the décor to the food. I have to recommend everything, but the Oscar Filet Trio and the Chocolate Cake – filled with cream and caramel – were fantastic.

Before Mom and I left in the morning, I was already planning my next trip to St. Louis and a few weeks later I was back for a totally different kind of girls’ getaway. My friend Amy and I headed there to see a baseball game and check out the new Ballpark Village.

Amy and I are both baseball fans, but for very different teams. I was able to keep us both happy by scheduling our trip during the Cardinals (her team) vs. the Mets (my team).

Even though it wasn’t for “my” team, I can’t tell you how much I loved touring the stadium before the game. It was quite an experience and we even got to see some of the players taking practice. During the game we were lucky enough to have suite seats so we could go inside and cool off from the 100 degree heat whenever we wanted.

Before and after the game, we checked out Ballpark Village. It’s quite impressive as an entertainment and food complex. You can also head to the rooftops of AT&T and Budweiser Brew House and watch the game from across the street. We sampled some of the Brew House food before the game and it was very good.

We called it a night back at the Ballpark Village at Howl at the Moon. Whether or not you are going to a game, I highly recommend stopping in here for some tasty cocktails and an evening of Dueling Pianos. It was a lot of fun – even though the Mets lost.

After many years as one of the top tennis writers in the country, Marcia Frost now devoting most of her time to travel writing, with a focus on food, wine and spirits. She has her own blog at WineAndSpiritsTravel.com and does weekly columns for Inspirato on Sonoma and Paris (two locations she visits often). Marcia also freelances for many other outlets, including Yahoo!; AOL; Michigan Avenue; Rum Bum; Los Angeles Confidential; Travel, Food & Drink; and Air Tran’s Go! Magazine. She has been contributing to Girls’ Getaway since 2010. For more information on Marcia, visit her website MarciaFrost.com.